The latest round of additions to the continually-expanding lineup for 2014’s installment of the long-running NEW ENGLAND METAL & HARDCORE FESTIVAL has been disclosed, including one of this year’s fest highlights; Massachusetts’ own ‘90s hardcore punk legends, Sam Black Church

Confirmed as one of the main headliners of the event’s third night, Saturday, April 19th, Sam Black Church’s set at NEMHF 2014 will mark only the third performance since they initially disbanded at the turn of the century, and first in Central Massachusetts since the late ‘90s. Stated the band upon being asked to take part in the massive event this Spring, “It is amazing what the man we used to know as Ogre has done with the New England Metalfest! We are fucking excited to be a part of it once again!”

Formed in Boston, in June of 1988 by Jesse “Jet” Crandall (vocals), Ben Crandall (guitar), Richard G. Lewis (bass), and J.R. Roach (drums), Sam Black Church was known for their energetic live performances, playing a frenetic blend of hardcore, metal, and thrash. Over the years sharing bills with bands as diverse as Bad Brains, Clutch, Motörhead, Cro-Mags, Fear, and Helmet, they were one of the most popular hardcore bands in the Northeast United States during the 1990s. After releasing three full-lengths on Taang! Records, they left to join Wonderdrug where they remained until they retired in 2000 after releasing a total of seven albums. Since disbanding, Sam Black Church reunited for a sold-out show on September 22, 2007, at The Roxy in Boston, and played a another sold-out performance at Hometown Throwdown #16 with The Mighty Mighty Bosstones at House of Blues in Boston on December 29th, 2013. A documentary of their career by Duncan Wilder Johnson entitled Leave Behind a Groove in the Earth is scheduled for release in 2014.

Also now confirmed to invade this year’s NEW ENGLAND METAL & HARDCORE FESTIVAL are Oceano, Scars of Tomorrow, The Last Ten Seconds of Life, InDirections and Julius Seizure on Thursday, April 17th, and Reflections on Friday, April 18th. The setup for Saturday, April 19th has also been lengthened with Texas In July, Obey The Brave and the aforementioned Sam Black Church performance.

Featuring two stages, the legendary NEW ENGLAND METAL & HARDCORE FESTIVAL continues to drive dozens of bands and thousands of fans to the iconic Worcester Palladium. Celebrating its sixteenth anniversary, this year’s edition will take place on April 17th, 18th, and 19th. Watch for additional updates in the coming days and view the already massive confirmed lineup below.

Tickets for the festival are on sale now — including three-day passes, VIP packages and more — available for purchase at THIS LOCATION.

For on-site coverage of NEMHF or pre-fest interviews with its founding promoters, contact Earsplit PR, an official sponsor of the event.

NEW ENGLAND METAL & HARDCORE FESTIVAL 2014:

Thursday – April 17, 2014
All That Remains
Bleeding Through
Broken Hope
Cop Problem
Emmure
Enabler
Fallujah
Gideon
InDirections
Julius Seizure
Kublai Khan
Oceano
Rivers of Nihil
Scars of Tomorrow
The Last Ten Seconds of Life
Years Since The Storm

Saturday – April 19, 2014
All Out War
Alpha & Omega
Barrier
Battlecross
Counterparts
Discourse
Gift Giver
Harm’s Way
Iced Earth
Indirections
King Nine
Lionheart
Loyal To The Grave
Nails
Nile
Ramallah
Reign Supreme
Revamp
Sabaton
Sam Black Church
Scars of Tomorrow
Sylar
Texas In July
The Last Ten Seconds of Life
Those Who Fear
Twitching Tongues
Will To Die

As the mammoth lineup of audio obliteration continues to expand, the doers of theNEW ENGLAND METAL & HARDCORE FESTIVAL are pleased to bring Massachusetts metalcore merchants/NEMHF alumni, Unearth, as well as German psychedelic space rock perpetrators, Kadavar, to their coveted stages!